A school psychologist implemented a practicum designed to increase the prosocial behaviors of children attending a preschool center that integrated handicapped (N=26) and nonhandicapped (N=22) children. Observations had indicated that many of the children at the center were unable to work and play with others without hitting and getting hurt in…

Two sixth-grade, hearing-impaired students were studied to determine the effectiveness of stress management techniques using biofeedback instruments to monitor their nervous and cardiovascular systems. The male student had behavior problems, exhibiting explosive behavior without warning. The female student experienced excessive audible inhalations…

Society still carries the lingering remains of the autocratic cultural mores of reward and punishment. Staff in a group home setting for children must be aware of the complexity caused by the mingling of autocratic and democratic mores. This phenomenon causes discrepancy in parenting methods. It was surmised that training the staff (N=4) at one…

This report describes the strategies of a young accrediting association in identifying, developing, and implementing a training program designed to help chairpersons and team members prepare for, and participate in, a school accreditation visit. The problem arose when the National Accreditation Commission of the Association of Christian Schools…

The goal of this practicum was to continue parent classroom participation from Head Start to kindergarten. Questionnaire data indicated that, while 27 percent of parents volunteer regularly in Head Start, only 8 percent volunteer regularly in kindergarten. To increase parent participation in kindergarten, Head Start parents and kindergarten…

Increasing numbers of diverse families, caught in the web of poverty, are becoming homeless. Homeless shelters have tended to focus on meeting only critical necessities such as food and shelter. However, the needs of the homeless are much more complex and challenging. Homeless families have deep-rooted problems and fractured relationships. Staff…

To provide assistance to teachers attempting to implement a thematic, discovery-oriented preschool curriculum under funding conditions preventing a desirable teacher-pupil ratio, a practicum was designed to recruit and train retired senior citizens and involve them as volunteer aides in the preschool program of a church school located in the…

This practicum encouraged department managers of a large nonprofit biologics pharmaceutical firm to use the organization's satellite-based Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) system (i.e., viewer-response system (VRS)). A self-paced instructional module was developed and made available for department managers to access in three on-line formats,…

A kindergarten teacher employed in an elementary school implemented a practicum designed to decrease the number of students referred to the principal's office for disciplinary action. Additional practicum goals were to improve student behavior in the classroom, cafeteria, and school bus; and teachers' classroom management techniques. Teachers were…

The effects of two training sequences on the development of young children's logical operations and number concepts, including rational counting strategies, were investigated. Forty-five preschool children, aged 3.11 to 4.10, were randomly assigned to two treatment groups and one control group. Subjects in the treatment groups received training…

A practicum, carried out at a Head Start program in a large southern United States school district, was designed to use inservice training and print and video resources to help Head Start teachers and parents become more knowledgeable about the Head Start Policy Council (HSPC), which involves parents in the decision making in the Head Start…

Society as a whole has become more transient, creating a weakened network for families in need of assistance. The child care center has the ability to create a support system for families via referrals to outside agencies, support groups, and organizations. This practicum project assessed a strategy to address the difficulty a child care agency…

Due to a lack of initial orientation training for school-age child care staff, the childcare program for 6- to 18-year-olds, located at an Air Force installation, was not fully acquainting new employees with the developmental needs of school-age children. Because of a lack of financial resources to conduct extensive training, high turnover of…

Direct observation of preschool children and informal interviews with day care center personnel and parents indicated that 4- and 4 1/2-year-olds from families of low socioeconomic status lacked the social skills and training needed to interact in an appropriate manner with peers in a day care setting. Three times more negative physical acts and…

This report discusses the outcomes of a practicum designed to address the lack of parent participation in American Sign Language (ASL) training by parents of children with hearing impairments. Using a pretest-posttest design, 46 parents of children who are deaf and receive services from a school for the deaf were surveyed. Based on the needs…